Undefined method `empty?' for nil:NilClass (NoMethodError)

ruby-talk
1

Hi;
I have a script that goes through a file to match information and puts
them in different arrays. When I run the program I receive in the
following error: undefined method `empty?' for nil:NilClass
(NoMethodError).

My code is:
Cemployee=Array.new
CemployeeID=Array.new
CemployeeName=Array.new
CemployeeGroup=Array.new
CMachineGroup=Array.new
CMachineShares=Array.new
CShareAccess=Array.new

counter=0
excelcounter1=2
excelcounter2=2
excelcounter3=2
excelcounter4=2
File.open("D:\\Reports.txt").each { |lineinfo|
  user=lineinfo
  group=lineinfo
  machine=lineinfo
  shares=lineinfo
  access=lineinfo

  m = /^([C]\d+)\s(\w+.+)/.match(user)
  n= /^\b(Groups:)\s.+/.match(group)
  o= /^\b(Machine Group:)\s(\w+.)*/.match(machine)

  p=/^\b(Share Name)\s.*/.match(shares)
  q=/^\b(Access Level)\s.*/.match(access)

  if m
    CemployeeID[counter],CemployeeName[counter]=user.split(" ")
    counter+=1
    excelcounter1+=1

  elsif p
    junk,CMachineShares[counter]=group.split(": ")
    CMachineShares[counter].empty?
    CMachineShares[counter].slice!("\n")
    puts CMachineShares[counter]
    puts CMachineShares[counter]
    #$excel.Worksheets(2).Range("A#{excelcounter4}")
['Value']=CMachineShares[counter]
    #excel.Worksheets(2).Columns.AutoFit
    #counter+=1
  end

}

2

The output fails when it comes to nil.
Here is a sample output:

\\Server1v1\BACKUP
nil
nil
\\Server4v1\BACKUP
\\Server4v1\BACKUP2

3

I figured the answer:

junk,CMachineShares[counter]=group.split(": ")
    CMachineShares[counter]=CMachineShares[counter].to_a
    #CMachineShares[counter].slice!("\n")
    CMachineShares[counter].delete_if {|x| x.empty?}
    puts CMachineShares[counter]